Hi John - We’ve heard so much news coming out of Syria over the last few weeks that is horrific, but what we haven’t heard much of are stories about how this conflict is affecting children. I wanted to share just one of those stories so you could hear first-hand what war does to children, in this case 11 year-old Beisan: "When we were in our village, we were hit by airstrikes, then we had to move to another area and we were hit again. We moved to a third place and we couldn’t survive because we had no support, and now we moved again in the fourth location because of the bombings. I wish I could go back to my hometown and go back to school." Right now, Congress is working on funding bills that include humanitarian programs that help kids like Beisan. It’s urgent that children in Syria and other conflict zones around the world have support for programs that provide lifesaving assistance and help them to recover from the trauma they’ve experienced. Please ask your members of Congress to ensure that humanitarian programs are fully funded. More than 11.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance as the nearly 9-year crisis in Syria continues. More than 5 million children are at risk, some of whom have grown up knowing nothing but conflict and chaos. They desperately need the support of countries like ours to help provide for their basic needs and to help them receive an education. While children like Beisan have witnessed things no child should, they are resilient and with the right support can recover. The U.S. Congress has a long, bipartisan tradition of demonstrating international leadership by funding humanitarian assistance programs, which represent less than 1% of federal spending. We need to remind them that this money has a life-saving impact in the face of competing priorities. That’s why you and I need to speak out today, John! Congress is negotiating funding for these programs right now so it’s critical we raise our voice today! Thank you for being a voice for kids, | 
